For many years, very specific creations have been considered art. There were strict regulations on what a work of art could consist of, including rules about medium, theme, and technique. This idea was completely reconstructed with the Contemporary Art Movement in the 1950s. Contemporary art is a very difficult movement to define, but it has been classified as any art made in our lifetime, between the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, following the modern and postmodern art movements. These artists fought to redefine what is considered art. As an artist I strive to break the mold of what people consider art and push beyond the point of traditional ideas. To a large extent, artists like Guillermo Vargas Jiménez and Park Ki Pyung are pertinent examples of contemporary artists who have broken the conventional mold of what is considered art and inspire artists like me. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Guillermo Vargas Jiménez became famous thanks to his artwork, Eres Lo Que Lees (You Are What You Read) (Image A). This artwork caused international protests due to the medium he used. Vargas took a homeless dog named "Natividad" and placed him in an art gallery. The dog was tied to a fixed wire against the walls of a corner of the tunnel. The title of the artwork (Eres LO Que Lees) was written in dog biscuits next to the dog but just out of reach. It was later revealed to the press that the dog had died in the tunnel. Vargas' artwork highlights how hypocritical people are. They don't spare a thought for the millions of dogs dying on the streets, however, when faced with the reality of what they have tried so hard to ignore, they need to blame someone. The artwork invaded their personal space, thus forcing them to address the problem of animal abandonment in the plight of starving animals in Central America. Later, when asked whether the dog was actually dead, he refused to comment. However, the gallery director insisted that the dog had been fed and released by Vargas immediately after the exhibition. He is a self-taught artist, which is evident in his unusual works. Use flamboyant methods to attract attention. However, he believes this is the only way people will actually start to recognize problems they prefer to ignore. Analyzing my contemporary artwork it is evident that I was inspired by the idea of taking a taboo issue, as Vargas did, and creating a work of art by bringing it into people's "private space". Vargas chose to push the idea of animal cruelty on wealthy, upper-class members of society. I chose to push the issue of poverty into the space of my classmates who have never suffered from it. In my drawing When South Africans Meet (Images B and C), I not only force the viewer to recognize their own prejudices, but in the same light I was also forced to see beyond this man's pseudo status in society. By presenting two images of equal size and with the portraits in proportion I was equating myself with the beggar and showing him as a worthy subject. By portraying someone living in poverty as art, I have altered the connotations of poverty. Therefore, similar to Vargas, my artwork was controversial as it challenged the stereotypes of our society. He fought against traditional ideas of art by completely destroying the idea of creating.
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